FIREFIGHTERS have issued a warning after a number of rubbish bin fires have been deliberately set over the last couple of months.

Shortly before 8pm on Sunday fire engines from Carlisle East, Carlisle West and Longtown fire stations were called to a house fire on Meade Road in the Harraby area of the city.

A recycling bag had been deliberately set on fire, with the blaze then spreading to the porch.

Police and ambulance crews were called, with the latter treating a casualty for smoke inhalation.

One hose reel jet was used to combat the fire, with crews at the scene for more than two hours.

Crews from Carlisle East were also called on Friday night to Chances Park, Morton.

They were called to the wheelie bin fire at about 9pm.

This sparked crew members to issue another warning urging homeowners to leave their bins indoors until the last possible moment, to avoid them being left unattended overnight.

A spokesman for Carlisle East Fire Station said: "We're trying to suggest that people put there bins out just before it is about to be collected rather than leaving it out all night.

"It's trying to keep them out of the public eye.

"If people have storage keep them away from the buildings and be vigilant and report anything through the necessary channels.

"It doesn't have to be an arson attack that can cause a wheelie bin fire.

"It could be burning ashes put into the bin that could cause it to catch fire.

"We're trying to prevent possible bin fires so urging people to only put them out as and when needed.

"This is only a couple of minus individuals, it's not an epidemic."

The spate of rubbish and wheelie bin fires started last month when a number of them were set during a two day period.

Crews were first called to Chances Park, Morton mid December where they discovered two wheelie bins had been deliberately lit near to a tree in the middle of the park.

At the time a spokesman for Carlisle West Fire Station said: "While it is important for us to extinguish fires, this type of incident is time consuming and diverts an available resource away from any potential life saving calls. Stealing someones wheelie bin is a criminal act and has added costs to the local authority in clean up and replacement. Please do not abuse our parkland's or chance getting a criminal conviction.

"There are better ways of having fun in our open spaces.

"Being called out to fires that are started deliberately tied up our resources. Both fire engines and three police units attended these call outs and we could have missed something life threatening."